I finally understood how difficult it was for Mama to go from glittering Chicago down to middle-of-nowhere Texas, like part of her had been sold down the river. And suddenly, Chicago in my mind became a beacon of happiness.

This fall has been full of firsts for Fred Willard. Take -- for example -- last month, when Willard made his daytime drama debut on The Bold and the Beautiful. Fred appeared in four episodes of this long-running CBS soap opera back in October and loved every minute of it.

I am shocked -- SHOCKED! -- to hear people advocating for higher salaries for American educators. Financial success and teachers go together like polar bears and ice: they desperately need it, and it's not like they're running out.

If people are giving you grief for skipping out on festive social plans in order to stay home and watch the quality programming offered this time of year on the ABC Family, Hallmark and Lifetime channels, then they just don't understand.

The Second City was serious when it came to diversity, as I learned early on, and it came from the top down. Every person of color that has performed on a Second City stage has been instrumental in helping another person of color.

Everyone's been there. You walk into a scene thinking that you're going to be the head of the UN, talking some serious sense into this business in Syria, and whatdya know? Some DUDE opens the scene with: "Hey, honey?"

Sorry, dudes. You thought he was the man that never would, but he has to. And it's not just happening to you, it's happening to everyone, but probably you the hardest. You swear this next Doctor will never blow your socks off, no matter how hard he tries.